My Work Life Balance

Managing my work life balance is so difficult at times! And to be honest, I’m still working on it!

I feel I have the best job being a photographer. When I tell people I am a photographer they pretty much always say what an awesome job I have and it must be great to be able to work around the kids. Well, it is! It is an awesome job and it is great to be able to work around the kids.

I love the fact that I can take my kids to school and pick them up, that I can work from home and that I can catch up with my guilty pleasure (Hollyoaks! Who knew!) while I edit! However, there is so much more that just taking photos that not everyone realises. My days involve emails, marketing, accounting, photo taking, editing, setting-up before a shoot, taking down props after a shoot, training, networking, striving to be different from the others… the list goes on. I know what you’re all thinking… “we do all that at our work place too, what makes you so special?” Well, if I don’t make it work, it won’t. Simple. You probably have a team to fall back on when you get sick or can look for help with the accounts or technical computer stuff. I have to figure all that out myself.

Working for yourself is hard. It’s hard to switch off and put the computer down. You will probably get an email from me pretty late into the night (or early morning!) about your session and how I can’t wait to see you in the studio.

So how do I switch off and get that work life balance we are all aiming for?? Well, we have a dog. She is quite a big dog and needs a lot of love and walks. The kids have always loved her, but only recently has she started to love them! I think it’s because they can have a good chase on the landing before bath time and the fact that the kids have almost (nearly) stopped poking her in the eye! It’s great to spend some time with Ruby and take her out for a walk and leave the computer at home if only for an hour.

Ruby is now 6 but still acts like a newborn puppy! Someone once told me that Irish Setters settle down when they are about 9 years old! Some time to go then! Ruby is so loving but my gosh she has driven me mad! There have been times when heavily pregnant she just wouldn’t come back to me when out on a walk. Faking an injury so she would rush over to me (I saw it on Lassie!) didn’t work so I had to ask a couple walking if they liked dogs and could they catch mine for me! I wouldn’t have her any other way (who am I trying to kid?!) I’ve got some great photos of Ruby and the kids as they grow up together.